A Fake Holy Mother in the Zombie Apocalypse

Bei Nuan silently looked at him, her face full of disbelief.

The middle-aged man sighed. “I also have a daughter, just about your age, and she looks quite like you. How could I possibly cheat you out of your bullet?”

Bei Nuan’s lips curved slightly. “You might have a daughter like me, but I certainly don't have a father like you.”

The middle-aged man was momentarily stunned.

The strongman had already handed over the cards, dealing two to each of them.

The strongman officially announced, “Three minutes for discussion, starting now.”

The middle-aged man continued to try and persuade Bei Nuan. “Young lady, trust me, I will definitely play the Human card…”

Bei Nuan smiled at him. “I believe you. That's why I plan to play the Wolf card.”

The middle-aged man froze, thinking he had misheard. “What did you say you were going to do?”

Even the strongman beside them was dumbfounded, thinking he had heard wrong.

After so many rounds, whether they were deceitful or honest, everyone claimed they would play the Human card and tried their best to convince the other party that they would definitely do so.

Bei Nuan was the first to openly declare her intention to play the Wolf card.

“I plan to play the Wolf card,” Bei Nuan calmly replied. “I’ll play the Wolf card, you play the Human card, both bullets will go to me, and I will give you one.”

Bei Nuan turned to ask the strongman, “If I get two bullets, I can give him one, right?”

“Of course you can,” the strongman quickly replied.

Bei Nuan gave the middle-aged man a “See? Problem solved” smile.

The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment, then completely lost it.

The gentle smile that had been plastered on his face disappeared, replaced by a ferocious and twisted expression. “You're a liar, aren't you? You want to trick me out of my bullet?”

“I'm not.” Bei Nuan calmly and seriously stared into his eyes, her tone firm. “I will play the Wolf card, get both bullets, and I will definitely give you one. We both can live.”

Bei Nuan’s tactic was completely unexpected.

Before stepping onto the stage, seeing a naive, innocent young girl standing there, the middle-aged man had relaxed, determined to get both bullets for himself.

Having two bullets to deal with zombies was much safer than having just one.

He felt a slight pang of guilt about deceiving a young girl out of her bullet.

But compared to his own life, other people's lives were nothing.

The middle-aged man had been waiting backstage and hadn't seen Bei Nuan kill zombies. He thought, even if he gave her the bullet, she might not be able to kill the zombies, which would be a waste. Besides, she chose to gamble, so she should accept the consequences.

Thus, he easily appeased his conscience.

So, as long as he convinced her to play the Human card, and he played the Wolf card in the end, he would succeed.

But Bei Nuan had started by saying she planned to play the Wolf card.

Her eyes were firm, her tone resolute, and she looked absolutely certain about playing the Wolf card, completely defying common sense.

The middle-aged man broke out in a cold sweat.

If she definitely played the Wolf card, and he also played the Wolf card, then the bullets would be confiscated, and neither of them would get one.

Facing zombies empty-handed meant certain death.

If she played the Wolf card and he played the Human card, both bullets would go to her, and whether she shared one with him depended entirely on her conscience.

The situation was completely different from what he had envisioned before going on stage.

Facing such a young girl, he found himself in an extremely passive position.

The middle-aged man's head buzzed, his hands trembled, and he involuntarily grabbed his hair, pacing anxiously like a caged beast before turning around and fiercely kicking the cage.

Amidst the loud clang, Bei Nuan remained calm.

“You don't have to be afraid, and you don't have to worry. When I get the two bullets, I will definitely give you one.”

Her voice was sweet, pure, like spring water, cleansing the filth from one's heart and soothing the frightened and doubtful soul.

The middle-aged man turned around and saw Bei Nuan still standing there, her face saintly, her eyes clear, looking at him with pity.

Beads of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

Bei Nuan knew that he was engaged in a final internal struggle.

All the spectators were stunned.

This kind of game was a first.

Everyone knew that if Bei Nuan was definitely going to play the Wolf card, the middle-aged man had no choice but to play the Human card to survive.

Only by playing the Human card would he have a chance of getting a bullet from her; otherwise, it was a dead end.

The audience below couldn't help but discuss amongst themselves.

“That little girl will probably give him a bullet, right?”

“Probably? She can kill a zombie with one shot. She's playing the Wolf card to prevent him from cheating her.”

“That little girl will definitely give him a bullet. Just look at her.”

The middle-aged man's shoulders slumped. The fake smile he had worn on stage was gone, as was the rage he had shown when he heard Bei Nuan was going to play the Wolf card. His eyes were now filled with doubt, struggle, and even humility.

“Three minutes are up. Everyone, place the card you want to play face down on the table,” the strongman announced.

Bei Nuan calmly drew a card and placed it face down on the table.

The middle-aged man's face was pale, his hands trembling so much that he could barely hold the card. Finally, he drew one and placed it face down on the table.

“Turn over your cards,” the strongman said.

The two cards were flipped over simultaneously.

Two Human cards.

Bei Nuan had actually played the Human card as well.

Both of them played the Human card, so each got one bullet.

The moment he saw Bei Nuan's Human card, the middle-aged man was completely stunned.

Then, covering his face with his hands, the forty-something-year-old man stood on the stage and cried.

With his mindset and character, he never imagined that she would ultimately play the Human card.

The audience below was silent for a moment, then erupted in a frenzy of whistles and cheers.

When the middle-aged man had stepped onto the stage, every spectator had worried that Bei Nuan would be cheated out of her bullet.

Unexpectedly, she had used the most ferocious tactic, the strongest wrist, to force him to play the Human card, but in the end, gave him the fairest outcome.

This girl with an F ranking, for three consecutive rounds, had played three Human cards symbolizing fairness and cooperation, yet each time, she steadily secured her own bullet.

The first time, she persuaded a wavering person to play the Human card.

The second time, she cooperated with an upright person, playing the Human card alongside him.

The third time, she used forceful means to compel a dishonest scoundrel who would have played the Wolf card to play the Human card instead.

A good person could not only get the bullet, but also do it beautifully.

The audience went wild.

The rule for cage fighting was to announce only the metal tag letter and the number of kills, not the name. People didn't know Bei Nuan's name, only that she was an F-rank, and kept calling her "that F."

The cheers and screams below gradually turned into rhythmic chants—"F!" "F!" "F!" "F!"

Standing on the stage, Bei Nuan felt slightly awkward.

Being called "F" by them, using a letter as her name, felt a bit strange.

Bei Nuan looked towards Lu Xingchi.

Lu Xingchi was also smiling at her, his eyes filled with admiration and pride.

Bei Nuan thought, his proud expression resembled that of a parent whose child had aced an exam.

Bei Nuan glanced at her Saintess Points.

As expected, with Lu Xingchi present, and having moved the audience with the final Human card reveal, her Saintess Points soared dramatically.

Before playing her card, Bei Nuan had carefully weighed her options.

If she played the Human card and the opponent played the Wolf card, she would get no bullets. If the opponent played the Human card, she would get one.

If she played the Wolf card and the opponent played the Wolf card, she would get no bullets. If the opponent played the Human card, she would get two.

Bei Nuan only needed one bullet; the second one was meaningless to her. So, whether she played the Wolf or Human card, the benefit was the same.

However, playing the Human card earned her extra Saintess Points, which was clearly more advantageous.

The scene was ecstatic, as if Bei Nuan had already won the cage fight.

The strongman waited for the audience's excitement to subside a little before stepping forward and leading Bei Nuan and the middle-aged man into their respective cages.

Only then did everyone realize that there was still a zombie fight to come, and they became tense again.

With Lu Xingchi around, Bei Nuan was fearless.

The zombie in the cage this time was especially tall and strong, clearly handpicked.

Bei Nuan knew who was behind this without asking.

Picking up the familiar gun, Bei Nuan hummed softly to herself.

No matter how fierce a zombie was, it was still just a zombie.

The iron cage opened, and the specially selected Overlord zombie had only taken two steps before being shot in the head.

Bei Nuan then had time to look at the middle-aged man next door, only to find that something had gone wrong.

She had heard his gunshot, which meant he had missed.

The bullet had strayed, hitting the zombie's neck.

The zombie tilted its head awkwardly, relentlessly chasing the middle-aged man.

The cage fight wouldn't end until the zombie caught its prey, and the entire audience silently watched the middle-aged man frantically running around the cage.

The cage wasn't large, and the middle-aged man used the zombie cage as a barrier, playing hide-and-seek with the zombie.

As he ran, the middle-aged man suddenly noticed that the crowbar the strongman had used to open the zombie cage had fallen and rolled near his cage.

He quickly lunged for it, grabbing the crowbar and pulling it into his cage.

The end of the crowbar used to pry open the iron bars was pointed, undoubtedly a sharp weapon.

With the zombie right in front of him, the middle-aged man mustered all his strength and thrust the crowbar towards the zombie's head like a javelin.

Bullseye.

However, perhaps because the middle-aged man had put all his strength into this life-or-death strike, the sharp crowbar, after piercing the zombie's head, didn't stop.

It slipped from his hand, went through the zombie, through the iron bars of the cage, and flew straight towards the audience.

Before everyone's eyes, it drew a beautiful arc in the air, then, like an extra-long steel arrow, shot straight towards Qiu Zhengxun, who was seated in the audience.

This happened so fast, and the crowbar's speed was so astonishing, that none of the skilled men standing behind Qiu Zhengxun could react.

The crowbar, steady, accurate, and ruthless, pierced straight into Qiu Zhengxun's forehead, embedding itself deeply.

In his final moments, as Qiu Zhengxun felt a chill on his forehead, his gaze landed on Bei Nuan, who was standing in the cage.

He saw that Bei Nuan was looking at him.

Unlike everyone else, her expression was calm, as if a crowbar bizarrely flying towards him was the most normal thing in the world.

This was the last image he saw in his life—

The angelic girl curved her lips into a pure and beautiful smile.

This sudden turn of events caused chaos.

Everyone recognized Qiu Ye, the island's boss, sitting in the back row, and they watched in horror as a crowbar pierced through his head.

Qiu Zhengxun's men frantically rushed forward, as if trying to revive him.

The cage fight spectators pushed and shoved, screaming and running for the exit, fearing any association with this extraordinary incident.

In the chaos, Qiu Ji nimbly jumped onto a table.

Firing a shot into the air, he shouted, "Nobody move!"

The gunshot and his command echoed through the cave, instantly silencing the chaotic gambling den.

Although Qiu Ji's collar was still open, the playful expression on his face was gone.

He calmly ordered someone to find a doctor, someone to tie up the middle-aged man who had accidentally killed Qiu Zhengxun with the crowbar, and his own men to maintain order in the casino and continue business as usual.

Seeing that the casino was operating normally, the strongman immediately followed procedure, bringing Bei Nuan the 21,000 chips she had won in three rounds.

Bei Nuan, as usual, handed the bag of chips to him, asking him to deposit them for her. Then, jumping off the stage, she went to find Qiu Ji.

As soon as she stood behind him, Qiu Ji sensed her presence and turned around.

Bei Nuan asked, "I've won three rounds. Can I leave now?"

At this particular moment, Qiu Ji actually smiled at her. "You can go."

His brother had suddenly died, making him the sole legitimate heir to the island.

The book mentioned that although Qiu Zhengxun held power on the island, there was a faction within the gang that supported Qiu Ji, and the two sides had been engaged in a power struggle.

Now, with only Qiu Ji remaining, he would undoubtedly be busy with a mountain of affairs and wouldn't have time for trivial matters like Bei Nuan.

Finally free, Bei Nuan skipped towards Lu Xingchi.

Lu Xingchi was still waiting for her in the same spot. Seeing her approach, he reached out and pulled her into his arms before she could speak.

“What are you doing?” Bei Nuan struggled in his embrace.

They were surrounded by people, everyone watching them hug.

“Let me hold you for a while,” Lu Xingchi murmured, burying his face in her hair.

He had agreed to let her participate in the cage fight because he knew that with his ever-increasing ability to control metal, as long as she was within his sight, Bei Nuan would be safe.

If the cage fight involved guns, there would be even less of a problem; he could now easily control fast-moving objects like bullets.

No matter how randomly Bei Nuan fired, the bullets would accurately hit the zombies.

But just now, seeing her enter the cage, Lu Xingchi's heart almost stopped.

Although he knew that with him around, nothing would happen to her, the thought that she had gone through this alone last night was terrifying.

After hearing Bei Nuan's account last night, Lu Xingchi had developed a murderous intent towards Qiu Zhengxun.

He was the island's leader, heavily guarded, and approaching him would be troublesome. However, he would definitely stay to watch Bei Nuan's cage fight, presenting a good opportunity to kill him.

Lu Xingchi's original plan was to take advantage of the cage fight and control a bullet to pierce through Qiu Zhengxun's head.

An eye for an eye.

After watching Bei Nuan's cage fight, Lu Xingchi suddenly felt that it was too easy for Qiu Zhengxun to die so quickly from a bullet, without even having time to react.

When the crowbar pierced his brain, Lu Xingchi deliberately made it pause for a moment, so Qiu Zhengxun could see it clearly.

“Everyone’s looking at us,” Bei Nuan whispered, fidgeting.

“Let them look,” Lu Xingchi said, holding her tighter, unconcerned.

Bei Nuan nestled against his chest for a short while before poking him in the waist with her finger.

“Someone’s looking for me.”

Lu Xingchi looked up and saw Flower Arm Bro standing in the distance, accompanied by his smaller, similarly tattooed companion.

Noticing Lu Xingchi's gaze, Flower Arm Bro said sheepishly, “It’s nothing, it’s nothing. You two continue. I’ll wait.”

Feeling even more embarrassed, Bei Nuan wriggled out of Lu Xingchi's embrace and asked, “You said you had something to tell me earlier on stage. What was it?”

Flower Arm Bro looked around at the passing crowd. “Let’s talk outside.”

Outside the cave, it was daytime again.

The sky was azure, the sunlight dazzling. After spending so long in the cave, Bei Nuan could hardly adjust to the bright light.

The wind blowing from the lake carried a light mist, refreshing and pleasant. Bei Nuan took several deep breaths, feeling invigorated.

They left the cave entrance together, walking to a deserted spot.

Flower Arm Bro first sized up Lu Xingchi.

“I thought this little girl was all alone, coming to cage fight to earn some money. I didn’t expect you two to be together. Why did you let her cage fight?”

Bei Nuan was startled and quickly explained, “It’s not his fault. I was forced to cage fight. He just found me.”

Flower Arm Bro nodded. “No wonder.”

He turned to Bei Nuan. “I wanted to ask you, my buddy and I don’t want to stay on this island anymore. We’re planning to leave. Do you want to come with us? Now that you’re both here, do you two want to leave with us?”

It turned out that Flower Arm Bro and his companion were also heading west, searching for the legendary safe zone.

They had encountered the Salt River on their journey and, unable to cross, had taken the same detour route as Bei Nuan and Lu Xingchi, also encountering the island's recruiters.

After arriving on the island and understanding the situation, the two wanted to leave. However, while it was easy for laborers to enter and move freely on the island, leaving was a different story.

With his B-rank, Flower Arm Bro could sign up for off-island supply runs and look for opportunities to escape. Unfortunately, his companion, with a D-rank, wasn't accepted.

So, they decided to escape secretly.

The island sold lumber to laborers for building houses. They used their earnings to buy some wood and secretly built a long ladder, planning to climb over the high wall one day.

The only problem was the lake outside.

Swimming across would be difficult, and stealing a boat from the dock, which faced the main gate, wouldn't be easy. So they decided to build their own.

Building a boat wasn’t like building a ladder. Suitable wood was available, but expensive. Saving up enough money would take who knew how long, so Flower Arm Bro came up with a quick money-making idea – cage fighting.

Now that he had won and had enough money, he came to ask Bei Nuan if she wanted to leave with them once the boat was built.

After listening quietly, Bei Nuan said, “We still have some things to do on the island, so we won’t be leaving with you just yet, but…”

Bei Nuan’s eyes crinkled in a smile. “Bro, I want to ask you for something.”

Flower Arm Bro said magnanimously, “Whatever you want, just say it.”

Bei Nuan asked, “After you climb the wall, can you give me the ladder?”

The Bro readily agreed. “Of course, no problem.”

Bei Nuan continued, “I can’t just take your ladder for free. I’ll trade you a boat for it.”

“A boat?” Flower Arm Bro and his companion were shocked. “You’re saying you have a boat?”

“Yes,” Bei Nuan said calmly. “A small wooden boat, with oars. So, you don’t need to build a boat anymore. If you want to leave, you can leave today.”

The surprise was so sudden, it was like a tornado.

Flower Arm Bro was speechless for a long time before he found his voice.

“…If you give us the boat, what will you do when you want to leave?”

Before Bei Nuan could answer, Lu Xingchi said, “She has more. She owns a shipyard.”

Author's Note:

Bei Nuan's game strategy comes from a guy named Nick. I really wanted to find his full name, but after searching for a long time, I couldn't find it anywhere.

In the final "split or steal" round of BBC's Golden Balls program, he used the strategy of claiming he would definitely choose "steal" to force the other party to choose "split." In the end, he also chose "split" and shared the prize money with the other party. When I watched this, I thought it was the best interpretation of "iron fist in a velvet glove."

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